However, little is known about the short-term effects of home-based exercise on psychological status and quality of life in

these patients. The specific research questions of this study therefore were: 1. Do the levels of anxiety and depression correlate with physical function, disability, and quality of life in people with chronic heart failure living in the community? A randomised trial with intention-to-treat analysis was conducted. People with chronic heart failure were recruited from one centre: Heart Failure Clinics, National Taiwan University Hospital. After eligibility was confirmed, each participant was randomly allocated into an experimental group or a control group. Patients attending a clinic on the same day were co-randomised to avoid possible cross-talking Selleck BMS 907351 between the groups. Each participant selleck screening library allocated to the experimental group attended a 30-minute face-to-face interview with a physical therapist in the clinic to provide an individualised exercise program and instructions to perform exercise safely at home, with a 1-page summary brochure provided. The control group was asked to keep their daily activities unchanged during the 8-week study period. All participants were asked to maintain their medications and habitual diet. Participants

were required to have had a diagnosis of chronic heart failure (New York Heart Association Class I–III) for at least six months and to have been medically stable for at least three months. Subjects were excluded if they had malignancy, psychiatric disease, or psychotropic use, or primary neurological, musculoskeletal

or respiratory diseases that affected the assessment of functional capacity or exercise capacity. Participants allocated to the exercise group were instructed at the interview to perform walking exercise combined with strengthening exercises also of major limb muscles for at least 30 minutes per session, 3 sessions per week for 8 weeks at home. How to exercise in a safe and proper way, including self-monitoring of symptoms, level of exertion and exercise-related problems, was explained and summarised in a 1-page brochure. Subjects were asked to keep a daily activity log and were followed up by telephone every 1–2 weeks to monitor progress, provide feedback, and discuss the exercise program, adherence, and barriers to adherence. Anxiety, depression, functional exercise capacity, disability, and health-related quality of life were measured at baseline and at the end of the 8-week intervention period. Anxiety and depression were measured by the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, a 14-item self-report questionnaire incorporating anxiety and depression subscales. Each item is scored from 0 to 3, and a subscale score of 8 or greater indicates psychological distress from anxiety or depression (Bjelland et al 2002).